Crab Fritters with Garlic Mayo

The best things carried to excess are wrong. – Charles Churchill 

Since there was only two of us, we went a little to excess. We both ate three!

Author's note: I made 8 "dinner sized" cakes but you can make 32 2-tablespoon sized ones just as easily for party finger food!

I did something silly last Thursday. Or at least a little silly. I (re)joined Costco – the original home of excess and “super-size me.”

I used to have a membership that lapsed quite some time ago, about 12 years to be exact. I think I first got it when the store opened.

There are benefits to shopping at Costco if you have a large family. Being just two of us, there doesn’t seem to be much call for a 40 gallon drum of mayonnaise.

But seriously, I don’t really have much use for two bottles of Tabasco, each one being 355 ml. Using a few drops now and then, they would last me well into a next life. Or two 2L jars of Kalamata olives, that have to be used within 30 days of opening. I love olives, but pu-lease...

That being said, you can get good deals on some good single items. Mind you, the price of membership – unless you go weekly or buy “big” – probably negates any savings over the course of a year, especially for a family of two.

It’s the bigger ticket items that bring you savings, so I believe. TVs, tires, computers, outdoor living gear...

I did get a couple “finds” that I brought home. One was a wheel of cambazola cheese for $10; the other was four cans of crab meat (170 ml) for the same cost. It wasn’t lump. but depending on what you’re making it does just fine.

I had planned on making Chinese crab and corn soup this weekend (recipe here) because I had corn in the fridge. But my spouse suggested something different, so I thought I would give it a try. Crab and corn fritters. They turned out very well. Very well, indeed.

They’re a snap to put together, and easy to fry. I opted to let my batter rest for an hour in the refrigerator. That gave the garlic mayonnaise time to increase in intensity.

The recipe made 8 large crab fritters. If you’re thinking of something for a Christmas party, try this but make 32 small ones instead of the 8 “dinner-sized.”

They were really tasty, with just enough garlic. The lemon thyme also came through. If you don’t have it (I grew some this year, and it's perennial!), substitute regular thyme and a teaspoon of finely grated lemon zest.

Crab Fritters with Garlic Mayo

Prep: 10 min  |  Rest: 1 hr  |  Cook: 15 min  |  Serves 4

3 lg ears of corn, kernels removed

2 x 170 ml cans crab meat, drained

1 cup flour

3/4 cup milk

2 eggs

1/4 cup chives, snipped

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp fresh lemon thyme

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cayenne

salt and pepper, to taste

vegetable oil for frying

Garlic Mayonnaise

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 tbsp finely chopped garlic

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp hot sauce

salt & pepper, to taste

Remove the kernels from the corn by running a sharp knife down the sides. Place them in a mixing bowl.

Drain the crab meat and add to the bowl, along with the remaining ingredients for the fritters. except for the oil. Mix well and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Finely chop the garlic – the finer the better – and mix with the mayonnaise, lemon juice, hot sauce and salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Heat about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of vegetable oil in a deep frying pan. The quantity will depend on the size of your pan. Once hot (drops of water will dance in it), scoop out 1/2 cup measures of the batter and add. My pan was large enough to do 4 without touching.

Fry until brown on one side. Flip and brown on the other side. Remove to a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Serve warm with the garlic mayonnaise. To make a dinner for four, serve a green salad on the side.

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